On Parallel Paths: Learning through Case Studies in the Writing Pedagogy Course

This article reports on a case study project assigned in a writing pedagogy course. The authors, four graduate teaching assistants and their professor, share their case study questions, experiences, and challenges. Via the case study assignment, the TAs identified parallel experiences they shared with their students. Recognizing parallel paths helps first-year TAs reflect on their experiences as teachers and learners, build connections with students, and develop sustainable teaching practices beyond the first year. The authors share strategies for identifying parallel paths and encourage TA educators to incorporate them into the writing pedagogy course

Changes in body composition and metabolic rate during a very low-calorie ketogenic diet and their association with weight loss

Introduction: The purpose of this research was to examine how a very low-calorie ketogenic diet affected body composition and metabolic rate in overweight and obese people. Method: A 12-week weight loss program using a ketogenic diet that had only a few hundred calories per day was offered to 80 participants at the Hayatabad Medical Complex in Peshawar. Participants consumed 800-1000 calories each day and were instructed to maintain a state of ketosis. Data on body composition, metabolic rate, and appetite hormones were collected at baseline and after the intervention. Results: The study's findings demonstrated that a ketogenic diet consisting of extremely few calories helped people lose a considerable amount of weight and improved their body composition and metabolic rate. Participants' weight, fat percentage, and circumference of the waist all decreased, as well as an increase in lean body mass. The metabolic rate of the participants increased, suggesting that the ketogenic diet may help with weight reduction and metabolic health. Conclusion: This research shows that an exceedingly low-calorie ketogenic diet may help those who are overweight or obese, especially those who have insulin resistance, lose weight.&nbsp

Increased expression levels of Syntaxin 1A and Synaptobrevin 2/Vesicle-Associated Membrane Protein-2 are associated with the progression of bladder cancer

Abstract Gene expression is tightly regulated in time and space through a multitude of factors consisting of signaling molecules. Soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive-factor attachment protein receptors (SNARE) are membrane proteins responsible for the intercellular trafficking of signals through endocytosis and exocytosis of vesicles. Altered expression of SNARE proteins in cellular communication is the major hallmark of cancer phenotypes as indicated in recent studies. SNAREs play an important role in maintaining cell growth and epithelial membrane permeability of the bladder and are not only involved in cancer progression but also metastatic cell invasion through SNARE-mediated trafficking. Synaptobrevin2/Vesicle associated membrane protein-2 (v-SNARE) and Syntaxin (t-SNARE) form a vesicular docking complex during endocytosis. Some earlier studies have shown a critical role of SNARE in colon, lungs, and breast cancer progression and metastasis. In this study, we analyzed the relative expression of the STX1A and VAMP2 (SYB2) for their possible association in the progression and metastasis of bladder cancer. The profiling of the genes showed a significant increase in STX1A and VAMP2 expression (p < 0.001) in high-grade tumor cells compared to normal and low-grade tumors. These findings suggest that elevated expression of STX1A and VAMP2 might have caused the abnormal progression and invasion of cancer cells leading to the transformation of cells into high-grade tumor in bladder cancer